NFL FANTASY PLAYER NEWS

November 20, 2005 7:00 PM ET

Passing Windy City
A few weeks ago, I wrote that it was time for the Bears to give Kyle Orton more opportunities to win games. Head coach Lovie Smith has done a great job of coaxing consistent play from his rookie quarterback. And now after 10 starts, the training wheels are coming off. Increasingly, we're seeing Orton throw more often, throw downfield, and throw near the end zone. Orton is showing more poise than ever before, and increasingly, he's looking like an actual NFL quarterback.

Does this mean that you should pick up Orton? No. But as his role continues to increase, we'll see an uptick in Muhsin Muhammad's fantasy value. And Justin Gage posted a nice game on Sunday. Even more relevant, a competent passing game will only help Thomas Jones as defenses may actually have to pay some attention to the team's receivers.

Don't Cut the Barber
A couple of times over the past month I've urged you to pick up Marion Barber, and despite a 92-yard game from Julius Jones, I'm sticking to my story. Although Jones got more carries for more yards on Sunday, a revealing sequence of plays suggests that Barber could continue to provide better fantasy stats.

In the second quarter, Dallas had a first down on Detroit's one yard line. Jones got the ball three times, and was stuffed on all of them, forcing Bill Parcells to settle for a field goal. Later in the game, with a first-and-goal from the four yard line, Barber got the ball twice, scoring on his second try. Barber finished with 15 carries, so he's getting plenty of work, and the best crack at scoring plays.

Nice Chester
I don't need to tell you how bad Jamal Lewis has been. If you drafted him, you've cursed his selection all season. If you avoided him, you've been feeling relieved by the decision. Meanwhile, Chester Taylor entered Sunday's game averaging five yards per carry. Taylor is a good kick returner, and he's a very good receiver out of the backfield. Yet inexplicably, he isn't getting consistent playing time.

With his job hanging by a thread, sooner or later Brian Billick is going to have to start playing his best running back. What's more, with Lewis heading for unrestricted free agency, you'd think that Baltimore's front office would want to get a long look at Taylor so they better know what to do with Lewis.

Watson, Come Here
Ben Watson scored twice last week, but it was easy to write off that game because Daniel Graham was inactive. But on Sunday, Graham played, yet Watson still led all Patriots in receiving yards. Watson's athleticism and giant size makes him an ideal target over the middle. With a dearth of quality fantasy tight ends this year, Watson is emerging as a (hopefully) productive second-half player.

End of the Droughns
Rueben Droughns has been great the past few weeks, but I fear that the end is near. On Sunday, Charlie Frye got his feet wet for long stretches. By next Sunday, he could be the starter. When that happens, the Cleveland passing game becomes an afterthought for opposing defenses. They'll key on Droughns, and force a rookie quarterback to beat them. I'm not saying that Frye can't develop into a viable quarterback, but it's almost certainly going to take time. Equally troubling, after next Sunday's game against Minnesota, the Browns' schedule has only one easy defense throughout the rest of the season.

Rudi, Rudi, Rudi
I've suffered with Rudi Johnson as a starter most weeks this year. Generally, he's been ineffective, scoring infrequently, and getting sniped by Chris Perry. So, this week I finally drew a line in the sand, and decided to bench him against a really good Colts defense. Naturally, he scores multiple touchdowns, proving that fantasy football is one frustrating fickle pastime. The good news is that Johnson ran well, and if he can handle the Colts, he has the potential to score against anyone.

Be Like Mike
With five touchdowns since week five, it's been tempting to consider Tatum Bell as Mike Anderson's fantasy equivalent. But, the key difference between them was played out on Sunday: Anderson gets goal line carries. Because Bell needs to break a long run in order to score, he's not nearly as reliable for fantasy owners.

Hairy Lloyd
In my dynasty league, I've picked up Brandon Lloyd as a part of my advance planning for 2006. Lloyd is a really good receiver whose stats would be through the roof if he had an actual quarterback. Put him in Seattle, Atlanta, or Green Bay, and he's a top-10 receiver. I'm hoping that the 2005 first overall draft selection acts a bit like 2004's. In other words, I'm speculating that Alex Smith will get some starts at the end of this year, and parlay that experience into a much better 2006, just like Eli Manning. If Smith can pull it off, Lloyd becomes his version of Plaxico Burress.

 

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